With the help of Bulls' mascot, Benny the Bull and local dignataries, students at John Mills School in Elmwood Park cut the ribbon on their secret weapon to combat pediatric obesity and improve physical health – Project Fit America, a a two-year program using specially designed cardiovascular equipment and curriculum.

Monkey bar rotations, pole climbs and bar jumps are just a handful of the exercises that will keep these Chicago-area students moving to a healthy beat all day.

"Elmwood Park is famous for their italian beef sandwiches and we want to help students in our community balance good food with lots of healthy and fun exercise," said Ken Fishbain, chief operating officer, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital has sponsored more than one dozen schools in the past decade through Project Fit America program grants and John Mills Elementary is the 2011 Gottlieb Project Fit grant recipient.

Benny the Bull, mascot of the Chicago Bulls, surprised students by adding silly string and silly antics as a guest of honor in the colorful, music-filled celebration.

The Elmwood Park High School marching band and also cheerleaders helped the more than 400 elementary school students raise the bar to celebrate getting physically fit and improving health.

Select students, along with Benny the Bull, demonstrated new physical exercise techniques, such as weighted hula hoops and cup stacking races, that will be used daily throughout the next two years.

A flash mob aerobics dance to "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" was so popular with the 400 students that it was conducted twice, with Benny the Bull waving his tail and bouncing to the beat.

The entire student body took a lap around the school field that includes the seven stations of Project Fit exercise equipment ranging from pole climbing to monkey bars.

Schools interested in applying for the 2012 Project Fit Grant from Gottlieb Memorial Hospital should visit projectfitamerica.org.